Hand cotton-picker.



PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904.

J. s. MURDOCH. HAND COTTON- PICKER. APP-LIOTION FILEDl MAB.. 29, 1904.

No MODEL.

/Qmd @f Maan/ v 5Min/W60@ @13 @HRW/neu UNITED STATES i Patented September 6, 1904.v

PATENT OEEICE.

JAMES SAVAGE MUEDOOH, OE CHARLESTON, SOUTH OAEOLINA.

A SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentY No. 769,353, dated September 6, 1904.y

Application nea umh 29,1904. serrano. 200,511.1. (Nomads 1'0 all whom, t may concern; 1

Be it known that I, JAMES SAVAGE MUR- DOCH, of Charlestonharleston county, South Carolina, have inventeda new and useful Im provement in Hand Cotton-Pickers, of which the followingy is a specification.

The invention relates to thev art of picking cotton from the plant and includes, first, the

improvementin said art which consists in introducing 1n the direction of its longitudlnal axis a cylindrical stem having' circumferential teeth into proximity to the cotton in the open boll and manually rotating said stem onits longitudinal axis with points of teeth foremostto gather said cotton and in the reverse direction to release the same, and, second, in the construction of the device for hold,- ing said mechanism for manually actuating said stem, as more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevationwith one wall of the protecting-case removed and a portion of the driving-gear broken away. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an end view ofthe stem and bevel-pinion thereon.

Similar letters of reference indicate 'like parts.

The picking-stem A may be of any suitable construction. As here illustrated, a central rod B is shouldered to receive the Hanged ring;

C and preferably a second and similar ring. (Not shown.) The said rings C support the stem-cylinder D, which is of sheet metal, preferably rounded yat its end and provided with longitudinal rows of V-shaped slots, which form sharp lteeth a, guarded by the adjacent metal and all turned in the same direction. When such a stem is rotated on its axis, points of teeth foremost, in proximity to an open cotton-boli, the elastic lint will enter the openings in front of the teeth, and so become engaged thereby, while leaves, twigs, or other i along and over the row. In all machines 'of this sort a practically fatal difficulty has been encountered in the impossibility of certainly getting the stems to the bolls. The stems Would of course enter the plant and revolve therein; but they often missed the bolls, and, what was worse, because they were moved Vinto the plant laterally leaves, twigs, or other the machinemight offer over the ordinary process of hand-picking.

I have-discovered that the stem is an eective instrument, providedit'is put wherel it can do its work, and that this is best done .by

'mechanism which not only gives to theI stem its proper rotation, timed in proper manner,

lbut which enables the 'operator bothY to actuate the stem by hand and also by hand to introduce it into the plant end foremost, and so to bring it directly to the open bolls. One stem introduced successively and intelligently to the open bollsof a plant and then operated is better than a multiplicity of stems moved at random into and through a plant by an unthinlring machine. a

I am aware that hand cotton-picking contrivances *have been devised; but none has ever come into even limited employment. I amv not aware, however, that any one has ever hitherto arranged the axially-rotating stem in combinationwith a mechanism capable of actuating it -by hand in proper manner and also in such portable form as that the oper` ator can manipulate it so as to bring it into effective position with respect to the open boils. Therefore I assert my present inventionV to be pioneer, Wholly new in the art, and i that my claims are entitled to the broadest interpretation.Y A

The stem A is actuatedlby mechanism disposed in a casing E, preferably of sheet metal, and provided with a pistol-grip F and a pivoted trigger G in convenient position to be movedI roo fore it is done by the direct pressure of the by the fingers of the operator when the grip i F is in his hand. The trigger G is in bellf crank form and carries at its free end the curved rack H, which engages with the pinl ion I, journaled within the casing. On the shaft of pinion I is the large gear J, which in turn engages with the bevelpinion K on the rod B of stem A. Said rod enters the casing E and is received at its end in a l fixed bearing L. It is also provided with a.; doubled-fianged collar M, between the fianges of which the metal wall of the casing enters to form a close joint. A helical spring N is attached at one end to the casing, as shown at O, and at the other end to the rack H, its effect being normally to hold the trigger forward and the rack in its most elevated position. The trigger is preferably curved latf erally, so as to afford a rounded surface for the fingers to bear against and also conform to the curvature of the grip when retracted into proximity thereto. i

The operation of the device is as follows: The parts being in the position shown in Fig. 1, the operator grasps the grip in his right hand, with his fingers bearing on the trigger Gr. He then moves the stem A in the direction of its longitudinal axis into the plant and to the lint in an open boll. He then presses on the trigger, so causing the rack H to travel against the resistance of the spring N, and thereby, through gearingI J K, to rotate the stem on its axis with its teeth-points foremost. The speed of rotation in gathering the cotton need not be great, and thereoperators fingers on the trigger; but when the cotton is to be thrown olf from the stem as rapid arevolution in the reverse direction as practicable is to be desired. Hence after the stem has been revolved, as stated, with teethpoints foremost, and thus has become covered with cotton, the operator withdraws the device from the plant and after inserting the loaded stem into the bag, basket, or other receptacle for the gathered cotton which he carries with him simply releases the trigger. The helical spring is now free to retract, and in doing so it sets the stem into very rapid rotation, with the result that the collected cotl ton is instantly thrown off from the stem. The stem is not introduced sidewise, since that would only result inV leaves getting in between it and the cotton, but longitudinally or end foremost.

It will be obvious that this contrivance can be operated eectively by any one, no matter how ignorant or unskilled. It simply takes the place of his fingers. He picks the cotton out of the open bolls with it and with no more exertion than is required to open and shut his hand at the proper intervals to make the stem turn points foremost to gather and in the reverse direction to release the cotton.

I claiml'. The improvement in the art of hand cotton-picking which consists in manually moving in the direction of its longitudinal axis a single stem having circumferential teeth into engagement with the -cotton in the open boll and manually rotating said stem on said lon- `gitudinal axis points of teeth foremost to gather said cotton.

2. rlhe improvement in the art of hand cotton-picking which consists in manually moving in the direction of its longltudinal axis a single stem having circumferential teeth into engagement with the cotton in the open boll and manually rotating said stem on said longitudinal axis points of teeth foremost to gather said cotton,then withdrawing said loaded stem and then rotating said stem in thereverse direction to release said cotton.

3. A single cotton-picking stem, a support therefor constructed to be held in the hand of the operator and means combined with said support and stem for rotating saidstem on its longitudinal axis.

A. A single cotton-picking stem, a support therefor constructed to be held in the hand of the operator, means combined with said support and stem for rotating said stem on its longitudinal axis in relatively opposite directions.

5. A single cotton-picking stem, a support therefor constructed to be held in one hand of the operator, and means combined with said support and stem and controlled by said hand for rotating said stem on its longitudinal axis.

6. A single cotton-picking stem, a support therefor constructed to be held in one hand of the operator,mechanism combined with said support and stem for rotating said stem on its longitudinal axis, and a trigger device controlling said mechanism and constructed to be operated by the fingers of said holding-hand.

7. A single cotton-picking stem having circumferential teeth, mechanism for manually rotating said stem on its longitudinal axis and a support for said stem and said mechanism, the said support being constructed to be held in the hand of the operator.

8. A single cotton-picking stem having circumferential teeth` a casingconstructed to be held in the hand of the operator and supporting said stem, mechanism for rotating said stem on its longitudinal axis within said casing and means exterior to said casing for manually actuating said mechanism.

9. A cotton-picking stem, a casing constructed to be held in the hand of the operator and supporting said stem, mechanism for rotating said stem on its longitudinal axis, means exterior to said casing for manually actuating .said mechanism and a spring within said casing for rotating said stem in the reverse direction when said manu all v-controllcd mechanism is released.

10. A cotton-picking stem having circumferential teeth, mechanism for manually ro- IOO tating said stem on its longitudinal axis points of teetli"t'oren1ost, meehanismfi'or automatioally rotating said stem inV the freverse direction ywhen said manual Contact is released and a support for said stem .and said mechanism, the said support being constructed to be held' in the hand of the operator.-

11. A casing constructed to be heldin the' hand of theoperato'r, a cotton-picking stem journaled at one end in said oasing,' an actu# ating-lever pvoted in said easing, and gearing for rotatingsaid steminterposed between said stem andsaid lever. j-

l2. A easing havinga pistol-grip constructed to be held in the hand of the operator, a

cottonpicking stern journaled at one end in said casing, a bell-crank lever pivotedin said casing andv having an arm in front of said pis# tol-grip and at its other rend a curved rack,

and gearing for rotating said stem interposed 2O between said stem and'said rack.

13. A casing eonstruetedto be held in the handof the operator, a cotton-picking stem journaled at one endin said easing, an actuating-lever pivoted in said easing, gearing ,for rotating saidstem interposed between said lever and'said stem,a'nd a retraeting-spring; said spring operatingnpon said gearing to r0- tate said stem vin a direction opposite to that in which said stemis rotated by theimpressed movement of said lever on its pivot.

'In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speeioation inthe presence of `two subscribing witnesses.

` JAMES SAVAGE MURDOGH.

Witnesses:

AUGUSTINE T. SMYTHE, DONALD MOKAY FROST. 

